Book and file case



(No Model.)

BAKER.

BOOK AND FILE CASE.

Pattented FebQlQ. .1884.

Fig.1.

P110 o'ljihngrnphur, Washington. CL C.

v UNITE STAT S PATENT @FFIQE.

JACOB BAKER, OF GREENVI LLE, OHIO.

' BOOK AND FILE CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,701, dated February 19, 1884.

' Application filed Mav1l,1883. (No am have invented certain Improvements in- Book 7 of the ends of said boxes.

-essary, drawing the said box forward.

and File Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a secretary and file-case, constructed as fully described hereinafter, so as to facilitate the assorting and filing of papers, and secure a cheap easily-made receptacle for ink, stationery, books, 850., and adapted to receive papers of various sizes and kinds. 7

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a file, secretary, and case, showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the boxes for receiving folded papers. Fig. 4 is a face View, and Fig. 5 a perspective view, of one Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a box for receiving fiat sheets. Fig. 7 is a section of Fig. 6.

The main body or frame A of the case and secretary is of any suitable size and construction, and is provided at the bottom with loops or open hangers a, adapted to receive strips b I), attached to a platform or shelf, B, so that the latter may be applied to the case in the position shown in Fig. 2, or wholly removed therefrom by merely drawing it outward to carry the strips 1) from the loops. This construction is specially applicable to wall-cases, or

cases which must be arranged behind counters or supported where the space is contracted, so that a permanent platform could not be employed. The case is divided by vertical partitions (2, against the sides of which are nailed horizontal parallel metallic. angle strips 6, the fianges of which constitute the guides or supports for oblong boxes D, which, however, instead of being of such a depth'as to completely fill the spaces formed for their reception, are so shallow as to leave intervening recesses, a". This afiords means of rapidly filing or assorting papers, as each paper may be slipped through the opening a into the box intended to receive it, without,-as is usually nec- When any paper is required, the box containing it may be drawn forward or taken out in the same manner as in ordinary file-cases. Where the case is provided with doors, the dust will be excluded thereby from the boxes. When the case is an open one, a short curtain of leather, cloth, or other fabric may hang from the bottom of each box over the opening 00, excludingthe dust without interfering with the slipping of the papers into the boxes.

The ordinary mode of making file-boxes by nailing, dovetailing, or otherwise securing together the wooden side and end pieces, is not only objectionable on account of the cost, but from the lack of strength, the liability of the thin sides and bottom to shrink and split, and to the room occupied by the. thickness of the material, and the liability to swell in damp weather. I avoid these objections by making each box of a front piece, F, a back piece, G, and a strip, a, of tinned or japanned iron or other metal, bent to a U shape, so as to receive the block G at one end and the block F at the other, the latter having rabbets i at the sides of the bottom, to receive the edge of the metal strip, so that the same shall not be exposed to view when the boxes are in place'in the case. The blocks F and G are secured in their places by the use of nails or other fast e, which afford the requisite support without.

contracting the opening. These strips, however, could not be employed in connection with fiat shallow boxes or trays E adapted to receive flat papers or drawings. I therefore construct these trays by forming a light frame,

M, of Wood, and nailing to the bottom thereof a sheet, n, of metal longer than the frame, so that the sides will constitute projecting flanges 8, adapted to fit narrow grooves 1), out into the sides of the partitions cl. This permits the trays to be arranged in close contact, but so that any one of them can be removed without disturbing the others, while no more space is taken up within the case than is equal to the aggregate depth of the trays. I

The parts composing the top and bottom of the space intended as a receptacle for daybook, ledger, and other matters, have grooves t therein, Fig. 1, to receive the edges of re- 5 movable partitions I, so that the space may be varied or divided to conform to any size books, or by the entire removal of the partitions the entire spaee is available as one compartment.

I claim- 1. The main body or frame of the case, in combination with partitions and drawers, said partitions being provided with supportingstrips for the drawers at intervals, substantially as described, whereby a space is left I 5 above each drawer, for the purpose specified.

2. The receptacle for file-cases, consisting of a block, G, rabbeted block F, and a strip, a, of metal, bent to form the sides and bottom of the box, inclosing the block G, and fitted to the rabbeted edge of the block F, snbstan- 2o tially as set'forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specifieationin the presence of two snbscribing witnesses.

JACOB BAKER.

\Vitnesses:

L. F. LIMBERT, SMITH DYE. 

